Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill Will Hit Shelves Soon

In July 2023, the FDA approved the progestin-only birth control pill, Opill, for over-the-counter access. Getting a birth control pill over the counter means that anyone (no matter their age or gender) can buy it without needing to talk to a healthcare provider or getting a prescription.

While the pharmaceutical company Perrigo announced shipment to local retailers on Monday, it may take a few weeks until you see Opill on store shelves near you.

Your Top Questions on Abortion and Birth Control, Broken Down

Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, CEO of nonprofit Power to Decide and practicing OB-GYN, is dedicated to educating people on abortion and the healthcare options that come with it. #AskDrRaegan provides candid, judgment-free sexual health information to young people by meeting them where they are: on social media.

Check out TikTok users’ top questions on abortion and birth control, answered by Dr. Raegan.

What Will Be the Cost of the First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill?

Opill, the first over-the-counter birth control pill, is set to hit drugstores, grocery stores and online shelves in the first quarter of 2024. But the real challenge lies ahead: Will it be affordable and truly accessible to all?

Opill is a progestin-only oral contraceptive pill, boasting a success rate as high as 98 percent in preventing pregnancies.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration hailed the approval of Opill as a breakthrough that could “reduce barriers to access” for those seeking contraception. 

However, the promise of accessibility hinges on the crucial factor of affordability.

A Once-a-Week Contraceptive Pill, Without Side Effects? Yes, Mifepristone.

Research has for decades indicated that mifepristone may be a safe and effective contraceptive, but no one has conducted a large clinical trial to produce the proof that could form the basis for government approval of the drug for this use. Until now.

Pioneering reproductive health advocate Dr. Rebecca Gomperts is now leading a clinical trial of a low dose of the abortion medication mifepristone for use as a weekly contraceptive pill. 

Far-Right Players Behind Latest Attacks on Abortion in Emergencies

In April, the nation’s highest Court will hear a pair of cases that will determine whether the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) preempts state laws that impede emergency abortions needed to protect the health of pregnant people even if they are not on the brink of death. 

Both of these cases have ties to the main anti-abortion zealots that helped overturn Roe: Leonard Leo and Alliance Defending Freedom. 

Keeping Score: CEO of the NRA Resigns; Texas Lawyers Call on Texas Medical Board for Abortion Guidance; Two Pending Abortion Supreme Court Cases

In every issue of Ms.., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement’s many milestones. We’re Keeping Score online, too—in this biweekly roundup.

This week: Supreme Court agrees to hear two abortion cases this spring; sexist jokes and major wins at the Golden Globes; Brittany Watts not indicted after a miscarriage; West Virginia introduces harsh new anti-trans bills; advocates from Florida to California are working to expand abortion access; new studies on mental health during and after pregnancy; and more.

Biden Administration Announces New Steps to Protect Abortion and Reproductive Health Access

In the midst of Republican elected officials “sowing chaos” in a “quest to ban abortion nationwide,” the Biden administration announced this week it is taking steps to help improve Americans’ reproductive healthcare access—including expanding coverage for no-cost contraception, increasing patient and provider awareness of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), safeguarding medication abortion access, and prosecuting violence against clinics and healthcare providers.

Six Things You May Not Know About Abortion

After reading about Kate Cox’s unsuccessful efforts to obtain an abortion in Texas, I needed an outlet for my ire. I took to social media, where I found reprehensible comments about abortion on Threads. I responded to them. I schooled my interlocutors with facts and links to research. I dazzled them with my correct grammar. I received tens of likes.

You may be shocked to learn that I changed no one’s mind. I was nevertheless surprised by some people’s misconceptions about abortion—many of which appeared to be shared by pro- and anti-abortion individuals. In the spirit of clearing the cobwebs out of our collective discourse, here are a few facts about abortion that have not been widely reported—starting with the fact that most people who obtain abortion care in America report using contraception in the month in which they became pregnant.